This image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseGroup shot on dark backgrund showing from left to right A621720
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Dental forceps, very crude construction, iron, probably European, 1601-1850
Dental forceps used for tooth pulling have been around for centuries. This example (one the right) is very crudely constructed and was probably made by a blacksmith. Tooth pulling was carried out by a range of people including barber-surgeons and travelling practitioners and was the only remedy for diseased teeth. Dentistry did not become a regulated and licensed profession until the late 1800s. The forceps are shown here with a pair of crow's bill forceps (A86892).
Details
- Category:
- Dentistry
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A621720
- Measurements:
-
overall: 12 mm x 172 mm x 50 mm, 0.115 kg
- type:
- dental forceps
